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Homebrew Expert

Tested by Brewers · Updated 2026

The home brewer’s field guide to gear that earns its shelf.

Independent, hands-on reviews of fermenters, kettles, mash tuns, hydrometers, and the malts and hops we actually brew with — tested batch after batch in our garage, not on a spec sheet.

Browse ReviewsHow We Test
Copper brew kettle and stainless fermenter on a workbench, mid-brew day.
Issue 14 · Brew Day

The Bench, by the numbers

Products tested
184
Batches brewed
612
Brew sessions logged
2,430
Retest cadence
12 mo

Latest Reviews

ingredients

Brewer's Best Light Liquid Malt Extract Review

Brewer's Best Light LME is the foundational fermentable for extract and partial-mash brewing. We tested the 3.3 lb can through 6 brew sessions.

3 min readingredients
brewing-kettle

5-Gallon Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Spigot Review

This 5-gallon stainless stock pot with spigot is the partial-boil kettle for extract brewers. We tested it for 8 weeks of extract and partial-mash brewing.

3 min readbrewing-kettle
ingredients

Learn To Brew Cascade Hop Pellets 1oz Review

Learn To Brew's Cascade hop pellets 1oz fits a single 5-gallon Cascade IPA recipe. We tested it through 6 brews against bulk-pound alternatives.

3 min readingredients
sanitation

Five Star PBW Liquid 32 oz Review

Five Star PBW Liquid is the concentrated form of the brewing-standard cleaner. We tested the 32oz bottle through 8 brew sessions of equipment cleaning.

3 min readsanitation
fermenter

FastRack 5-Gallon Italian Glass Carboy Review

FastRack's 5-gallon Italian glass carboy is the lifetime alternative to plastic buckets. We tested it through 6 fermentations against plastic alternatives.

3 min readfermenter
brewing-tools

3-in-1 Digital Refractometer with ATC for Brewing Review

This digital refractometer with automatic temperature compensation gives fast gravity readings. We tested it for 8 weeks of pre-boil and during-boil checks.

3 min readbrewing-tools
brewing-kettle

Brewer's Best 8 Gallon Basic Brewing Pot Review

Brewer's Best 8-gallon brewing pot is the partial-mash sized kettle. We tested it for 8 weeks of partial-mash and extract brewing.

3 min readbrewing-kettle
bottling

Beer Bottle Capper and Caps Kit Review

This crown bottle capper kit handles the bottle-conditioning final step. We tested it through 50+ bottle cappings against bench capper alternatives.

3 min readbottling
mash-tun

10 Gallon Industrial Water Jug Review

This 10-gallon industrial water jug is the DIY mash tun base used by all-grain homebrewers. We tested it as a converted mash tun for 6 brew sessions.

3 min readmash-tun
kegging

Taprite Dual Gauge CO2 Regulator Review

The Taprite dual-gauge CO2 regulator is the brewing-grade kegging regulator. We tested it for 8 weeks of force-carbonating and serving from corny kegs.

3 min readkegging
homebrew-kit

Northern Brewer 1-Gallon Homebrewing Gift Set Review

Northern Brewer's 1-gallon gift set is the apartment-sized homebrew kit. We tested it through 4 small batches as gift-recipient and apartment alternative.

3 min readhomebrew-kit
airlock

FastRack Drilled Rubber Stopper #10 3-Pack Review

FastRack's drilled rubber stopper #10 3-pack fits standard 5-gallon glass carboys. We tested it for 8 weeks of carboy fermentation use.

3 min readairlock

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